The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-06-18
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Some Reflections on the National Encamp
ment-The Presidents Return
american Childhood" Dis
cussed, &c., &c.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 14th, 1887


the fact that it was the initiatory movement of
that kind, the first national encampment and drill
of the militia ever held in this country. The
weather nearly or quite the whole week was not
oyerpropitious, it being rainy or showery nearly
the whole week, and on the first Monday of the
encampment the city experienced an unusually
severe storm, which demolished trees rent roofs
off houses flooded the streets with water, and over
turned very many of the tents of the encampment.
How remindful of the old times of the war to the
veterans present who participated actively in the
"onpleasantness" of twenty-five years ago! How
it carried their minds and memories back to the
days when their tents in camp were blown over by
the wind-storms or they sat unprotected. without
any tents, beneath the watery canopy of heavy
laden clouds and were drenched and drenched
again with the rain that fell These "play soldiers"
as they are called, although it is to them that
would have first to look for protection in case any
great disturbance were to arise in the land, were
undergoing, in this storm, the first experience al
though very minor one, of the many experiences
that the real soldier has to undergo in the camp
and field, and which our soldiers of both sides un
derwent, of rain and snow, heat and cold, and all
other privations and hardships incident to a SOL
diers life for four long years in the late war. But
those experiences are now nearly forgottensia the
such incident as that narrated above in connection
with this encampment or the annual decoration
with flowers of the graves of dead comrades by the
living, has but recently transpired by both the
surviving Union and Confederate soldiers, or the
meetings of the G. A. R. Posts, or Of the Confed-
crate societies bringing them back to memory.
I must confess that I was not here during tie
week of the encampment, having stolen some little
time from business to run up into your most eS-
cellent county for weeks recreation. But the
city was crowded with people from all parts of the
country, many of whom came before and remained
till after the encampment. The only feature OF
the entertainment that saw was the panorama Of
the fight between the Monitor and Merrimac 10
Hampton Roads, in 1862, on the lake in the en-
closure of the Monument Lot in the rear Of the
White House, on the Monday evening after the
encampment and drill, when l returned from the
country, which was very interesting to me, having
stood on the shore of the Maryland side of the
Chesapeake Bay, near Eastvile, on that memora-
BILE night and watched the flashes of the guns, the
flying rockets and the flames from the burning
wooden vessels of our Navy mounting high into
the air and heard the loud booming of the cannon
as the Monitor, the Merrimac and also the fort
fortress Monroe) poured broadsdes into each
other This panorama was quite realistic OF that
naval conflict between two notable vessels the
RATS being constructed in imitation of the shape
of the Monitor and Merrmac, and floating around
and pouring rockets from the port holes into each
other most of them striking against the sides of
the opponent, and occasionally the fort in prox-
unity taking part in the fight by throwing
large shell or shot at the Merrimac as it foated
it, until at last the fight was ended, the Mon
itor victorious, great sheets of fame burst
from the port holes and top of the Merrimac, and
she retired behind the "head lands" defeated, and
a great shout went up from the thousands that had
come 20 witness the mimic battle
The encampment was not a success, either as to
the number of soldiers present. the number not
reaching over q few thousand, nor financially, az
the managing committee is said to be about $751;,
600 in debt on its account, for which amount the
stockholders contributors will have to be assess
ed-a neat little sum to come out of their pockets
for seeing "play soldiers" But Gen. Sheridan,
of the U. S. Army, was so we'll pleased with this
first attempt at bringing all the militia of the coun
try together in one grand encampment at the Ma
tional Capital, that he intends asking Congress to
make an appropriation for such an encampment
here every year.
The great surprise of the encampment was that
Maryland did not send any of her militia organi-
cations. Why? The color question was raised of
course, but that could not have been the reason.
Was it because the State could not afford the ex
pense if it had to come out of the States pocket,
or that she could not come off with honOrs in any
of the competitive drills that were to take place?
The President has returned to the city and it is
said that he will from now on devote his tame cad
attention to how to secure his denomination, but
don't think he will do any such thing, for he will
have much other business of public character to
attend to, and his easiest way to secure renomi-
nation will be to attend strictly and faithfully to
his other public duties.
attended on Sunday night last most interes-
ting meeting at the Metropolitan M. f. Church,
this city, after the exercises during the day pecu
liar to Children's Day, where the question OF
"Amercan Childhood" was the topic of discussion.
Prof. j. c. yelling, president of Columbia Uni
versity Prof. A. T. Stewart, a university gradu-
ate and connected with the management of the
public schools here; Mr.. Lacy, superintendent of
the Sunday school of the church, and DR.. Newman
were the principal speakers. The great and vital
Importance of the proper training OF childhood,
especially in this free America of ours where the
perpetuation of our free institutions of liberty de-
pend upon the intelligence, virtue and patriotism
of the future citizens wrapped up in the childhood
of to day, dwelt upon from several different
phases. The addresses were all impressive and
edfying as we'll as instructive. Prof. yelling
treated the subject from philosophical standpoint
of the effects and fruits of proper training OF chill
dren to the whole human family, but more especi-
ally of our own children in our own land, which
is the heritage of all other lands and ages Prof.
Stewart dealt with it from practical standpoint
and the application of the subject to the question
of the proper training of children in our public
schools. 1t is on account OF one OF the REMARKS
that he made that 1 have written this, remark
full of important significance and that school men
S1Oulu pOuueE III ILLS udy Wh0u Iho Siouu"e0S
are most sought after Especially the Normal
School graduates) to occupy the positions in our
schools, Notwithstanding how young, how mex
perienced and how little they kno,o themselves Of
this aoorld ace live IN and the little appreciation
they have of the great responsibility and momen-
tous issues that attach to the training of childhood
The remark was "The question should not be what
the teacher can teach but ,cho is the teacher" He
should be man of experience, of matured judg-
ment, of knowledge, of the highest moral charac-
ter, model of department and conduct for the
children to follow, and one who has the highest
appreciation of the responsibilities of his position,
of the results in their broades sense in the future
of childhood training, and can influence the chill
dren under his charge for good and elevate them.
sYoung graduates from our schools and colleges
may be able to teach more than such an one" he
sad "but he is not the best teacher for the times
or our schools" Mr. Lacy treated the subject
from the standpoint of Christian training in our
Sunday schools, and DR.. Newman's remarks were
general and philosophical, as they always are on
all subjects. ANON.